Studs & Duds for Clemson football against Ohio State Buckeyes
The 2020 Clemson football season came to an end in embarrassing and disappointing fashion Friday evening following a 49-28 blowout loss to the Ohio State Buckeyes.
Though Clemson football was favored by a touchdown coming into the game, the Tigers were thoroughly beaten on both sides of the ball on their way to a second-straight blowout defeat in the CFB Playoff.
It’s hard to find ‘studs’ in a game that played out so poorly, but here’s a look at three studs and three duds from the Clemson football game against Ohio State.
Stud 1: Cornell Powell
We’ll start with the ‘stud.’ How about Cornell Powell? You might not be impressed with much else offensively, but you’ve got to give Powell credit.
He made some mistakes- like the rest of his team- but he still fought hard for passes and he did an excellent job still winning some battles against an Ohio State secondary that seemed to be everywhere.
Powell earned some major money this year from his performances and he was one of the bright spots in the season-ending loss.
Dud 1: The entire defensive effort
You can’t really say anything other than ‘yikes’ when talking about the defense.
The unit gave up 639 yards of total offense and didn’t do much to slow down the Ohio State offense all night long.
The OSU wide receivers seemed to make all the 50/50 plays and the Buckeyes had no trouble running the ball (5.8 yards per carry).
The result was the Buckeyes scoring 49 points and the truth of the matter is that they could’ve scored more.
Stud 2: Trevor Lawrence‘s effort and class
You’ve got to give Trevor Lawrence credit. He’s only lost two games in his career and he has handled both with poise and class, especially this time around.
Lawrence wanted a chance at a National Title and he was visibly upset when it became increasingly obvious that wasn’t going to happen. Still, he remained poised and continued to lead.
He took some hard shots even when we knew the game was over. Many draft prospects would’ve quit, but he continued to fight and showed the heart of a champion even in defeat.
Dud 2: The offensive line
Lawrence’s offensive line didn’t give him much help.
That group has been suspect all season long and they were especially so Friday night against Ohio State. They struggled mightily, allowed Lawrence to be hit on way too many occasions and were beaten soundly- all five of them.
You don’t win championships without an offensive line and that shows exactly where the Tigers have to develop moving forward.
Stud 3: That first scripted drive
It’s hard to find much else on the ‘stud’ list for Clemson in this one, but you’ve got to admit that the first scripted drive of the game was a thing of beauty.
The Tigers moved right down the field and connected perfectly.
It almost makes you wonder what the offensive input would’ve been had Tony Elliott been calling the plays and adjusting throughout the game versus an inexperienced Brandon Streeter.
Dud 3: James Skalski‘s targeting hit
You can argue the letter of the law all day and night. If you’re a Clemson football fan, you likely say it’s not targeting. If you’re an Ohio State fan, you say it is as clear as day.
The truth of the matter is that the targeting rule needs to change. There was no intent behind Skalski’s hit and Fields simply turned into his head.
Without Skalski in the game, the Tiger defense was toast- plain and simple.
We’re not here to say that the call changed the outcome (as many OSU fans complained last year), we’re just here to say it was a very unfortunate event in the game for the Tigers.